Forever and Always
by Ferrice
Summary: Hiro believes that Kana's simply out of his reach. That changes, however, when Kana suddenly kissed him. Kana thought that Hiro's only a good friend, but after the kiss, he can no longer deny the attraction he feels towards the young apprentice. Hiro x Kana. Yaoi. Please R 'n R! Rating many rise to M.
1. Chapter 1: Accident

**Chapter 1: Accident**

Fall is coming to an end in the Konohana village, and winter's rapidly settling in. All the leaves are on the ground already, and the temperature's already dropping steadily as the day passes. Despite the weather though, everyone in the village is still putting on the best smiles on their faces, much like always.

"So, what do you think?" Ina asked as she turned her gaze towards the horse expert in the Konohana village.

"This is a really fine horse," Kana replied as he examined the young, black horse with much interest. He reached out to touch it, however, the horse quickly neighed and pulled away, glaring at Kana as it did so. "Still, I can't help but to notice that it's really nervous... Was it abuse?" Kana asked with concern.

"I don't know the full story," Ina replied, "All I know is that it's causing trouble for a friend of mine... I brought it to you in hopes that you might be able to help it."

"Well, it's going to be a lot of work to mellow this one," Kana replied as he watched the horse sniffing around suspiciously as it approached Hayate, Kana's favorite horse. "With a little patience, I'm sure we'll be able to see some changes soon enough."

"Then, I'm counting on you, Kana." Ina smiled, "I have to go back to the Town Hall now. See you!"

Kana waved her goodbye, before he turned his attention back towards the black horse. Mending the trust of an abused horse is a lot of work, and Kana has little to no experience on the matter. The people of the Konohana village are always gentle with horses. Still, with patience, love and persistence, Kana's sure than he'll manage somehow.

Kana decided to first take care of his horse before opening his store. He walked over to he corner of his pasture to pick up his tools, but he quickly froze when he heard a familiar, cheerful voice resounding from behind.

"Kana, is that a new horse?"

That voice definitely belongs to Hiro, doctor Ayame's apprentice. Kana turned and offered him a smile, "Yeah, it is," he smiled as he abandoned his tools and walked over to him, "Ina just dropped him here... It's an abused horse, so you've got to be careful when you see this one."

Hiro nodded in understanding, "You're always working hard Kana, make sure you take good care of yourself... And try not to get hurt, okay?"

Kana beamed, "Of course, thank you, doctor Hiro."

The younger male slightly blushed, though Kana seemed to not notice. "W-Well, I've got to go... I'll see you around, Kana," Hiro waved at him, before he left for the clinic.

Kana watched as the young doctor left, wondering why he always has to leave so quickly. Perhaps being a doctor is a lot harder than he originally thought.

With that in mind, he turned around and returned to his work.

* * *

"Hello! Anybody home?" Ayame asked as she waved her hand before Hiro's face.

Hiro gasped as he took a step back, nearly tripping over his own feet as he regained his senses. "D-Doctor Ayame! You scared me," he said as he clutched his book tight to his chest.

"I've been calling you for ten times, you were spacing out so badly," the doctor said, "Is something on your mind? Come on, spill it. You know you can't hide anything from me." She folded her arms and took a step closer towards the younger doctor.

"I-It's nothing, really," Hiro replied, his face suddenly adopting a tint of pink. "I was just... Daydreaming."

"Well, it's unlike you to daydream," she commented suspiciously, "Come on, I can't have an unfocused apprentice working with me. You'd better tell me what's on your mind."

Hiro hesitated for a moment, his eyes nervously wandering around the room. However, when he found that nothing can help him escape this question, he sighed and said, "K-Kana..."

His voice was barely audible, but the female doctor heard what he said, "What happened to Kana?" she asked.

"N-No, I was just.. Thinking... about... him," Hiro's voice trailed off as his face adopted a darker shade of red with each word he spoke.

Ayame took a few moment to figure out what's going on, and when she does, she couldn't help but to stare at Hiro with much surprise. "Hiro... do you... Like him?" she straight-forwardly questioned.

Hiro's face couldn't be much redder than this.

Ayame smirked, "Well, he is charming..." she commented, "I mean, guys who handle beasts do have a certain charm that nobody can easily resist... And those arms," Ayame sighed dreamily, "God, do you think he workout?"

Hiro shifted uneasily, "Uh... yeah, maybe..."

"Still, I heard Georgia from the next town is close with him," Ayame informed, "She's a horse lover too, you know... She has more chances to hit it off with him that you do."

"I-I wasn't hoping anything to happen between us!" Hiro quickly denied. "A-As long as I can see h-him smile, I'm happy... My feeling is one-sided, I know that right from the beginning."

Ayame tilted her head questioningly. She was hoping that Hiro can be a little persistent, "If you really like him, you shouldn't give up so easily on him."

"H-He's into women," Hiro couldn't stop himself from stammering, "I have better chances of finding a cure for cancer than to go out with him. Besides, what would people say if they see two guys together?"

"Kana is a very nice person. Everyone in this village is a very nice person. Don't insult your own village like that," Ayame said with a stern look on her face.

Hiro looked down, "I'm sorry..."

"I'm no expert in love," Ayame regained her calm composure, "But I think there's nothing wrong with trying... Just watch out though, you might have to compete with Georgia to get his heart. Oh, and don't forget about Hayate."

Hiro was about to open his mouth to say his gratitude, however, that's when Rahi comes running into the clinic. The little boy looked as if he just ran in a marathon.

"D-Doctor!" Rahi exclaimed. "Come, quick! You've got to help him!" the words quickly flowed out of the boy's mouth. "You've got to save him!"

Both Ayame and Hiro quickly stood in alert, "Calm down, Rahi," Ayame said, "Tell us what happened."

"Y-Ying, mister Mako and I were playing with some firecrackers by the river, but then Kana came, and we scared off his horse, and it went mad, and now Kana's head is bleeding!" the boy looked scared out of his wits, "Please, save him!"

"Rahi, it's alright," a voice suddenly came from behind, "It's not that bad, okay..." Kana limped inside the clinic, a weak smile persisted on his face, with one of his hand pressed a white cloth soaked in blood to the side of his head. Gombe, Ina and Mako helped him walked inside, concern written all over his faces.

Horror struck Hiro when he saw the blood all over Kana's clothes.

Doctor Ayame calmly took over the situation though, "Bring him over here..." she motioned towards one of the available beds.

The villagers complied as they helped Kana onto the bed.

"So, what happened?" Ayame asked as she put on her gloves and gently peeled the blood-soaked cloth from Kana's wound.

"I fell off the new horse," Kana said, "It got startled by the firecrackers. I tried to calm it down, but it got much more energy than I expected... Mark got the horse though, so I think it'll be fine."

"Does it hurt? And don't lie, it's very important for me to know just how bad this injury is."

Kana smiled, "Well, there's a lot of blood, but I don't think it hurts that bad... Kind of like being hit with a baseball bat, I guess?"

"Well, it doesn't look severe," Ayame commented as she dabbed away the blood with wet cloth. "You still have to stay here for the night though, just to make sure the injury's not internal. If you experience any headache, you've got to inform us as quickly as possible, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

With swift trained hands, the doctor quickly treated his wounds, while Hiro assisted her in any way he could. After making sure she did an excellent job, she wound the bandage around his head, "We'll have to change this regularly later on, can you do it, Hiro?"

Hiro nodded, "Yes, doctor."

"Alright, I'll be in my office to fill out the reports, call me if you need anything," she said before she disappeared into her workstation.

Rahi was the first to run to his side, and with teary eyes, he said, "Kana, we're sorry!"

"Hey, it's no big deal, okay?" Kana offered the young boy a smile, "It was my fault. I should've let the horse get used to the country air first before taking it out for a ride."

"You're a real man, Kana," Mako sighed, "But it was definitely my fault. I was the one who takes out the leftover firecrackers from the new year's party. If you've got anyone to blame, that would be me."

"I don't blame anyone for this," Kana said, "I'm just glad that no one gets hurt."

"He's right," Ina said, "The important thing is that no one else gets hurt... Kana, I'll talk to Phillip and see if he can take care of your horses for a couple of days."

"Tell him that I really appreciate his help," Kana said.

"Come on, Rahi," Ina hold her son's shoulders, "We should let Kana rest..."

"Well then, I'll be going back too, may you recover soon, Kana," Gombe said.

"I'm sorry, Kana," Rahi still looked sad despite Kana's words.

"If you need anything, call me, I'll be there to help you out," Mako sounded guilty, but he did not show it on his face.

"Thanks a lot guys, I'll be alright," Kana waved them off with a smile.

After they left, Hiro turned to look at Kana, "You clothes, you should take them off..." Hiro said, "We have some spare clothing here for the patient, you should change into them." Hiro walked over to the supply cabinet and took the fresh white clothes.

"Sure," kana said as he disrobed himself and folded the blood-soaked clothing neatly.

When Hiro turned back again, he was quickly treated by the sight of a topless Kana. He froze for a moment, unable to believe just how well-defined his body is. Kana's body is of perfect proportion, with muscular arms, washboard abs and deliciously tanned skin. And for the love of god, is that a nipple piercing?

"Uh... Hiro?" Kana asked when he noticed Hiro staring for a moment too long, "Is something wrong?"

"No," Hiro quickly snapped out of his thought, "Nothing." He handed the white clothes and picked up Kana's bloodied one, "I'll drop this in the laundry. The doctor is in the other room. If you need anything, just call." And he quickly left before Kana can see his blushing face.

* * *

Kana spent the rest of his afternoon chatting lightly with Ayame and Hiro over tea and some snacks. They lightly shared opinions about the weather, their lives, and possibly a little bit of gossip here and there. Many villagers came to visit him, so Kana's always occupied with something. Rahi came later in the evening with Ying, both of them apologizing once again. Kana assured them that he'll be fine by tomorrow though, and they both left with smiles on their faces.

When night falls, Kana quickly fell asleep as soon as the doctor changed his bandage. At first, Hiro was worried that he got knocked out by some other reason, but a quick check by Ayame assure him that Kana's going to be fine.

Hiro couldn't sleep at all though. He couldn't bring himself to slip under his covers when he knows that anything could happen to Kana when he's asleep. So he brewed himself a pot of coffee and picked out the largest medical book on the shelf to read.

"Looks like somebody's getting ready to stay up all night," Ayame commented with a smile as she stood right next to Hiro.

"Doctor, you can go ahead and sleep," Hiro said, "I'll wake you up if anything happens."

"Well, I do need my beauty sleep," Ayame said, "Don't push yourself too hard... Oh, and don't try to do anything funny with him, okay?"

Hiro quickly blushed, "D-Doctor! What are you trying to say?"

Ayame smiled, "Just saying... Goodnight, Hiro."

The doctor disappeared into her room, and Hiro began reading.

At some point during the night, he fell asleep on his book.


	2. Chapter 2: A Day Full of Surprises

**Chapter 2: A Day Full of Surprises**

"Make sure you don't overwork yourself," Ayame told Kana as he puts on his casual clothes. "If you experience dizziness or headache, come here immediately."

"Thank you, doctor," Kana nodded, "I feel great, you have no reason to worry," he then looked around, "Where is doctor Hiro?"

"He stayed up to watch over you," Ayame informed with a very interested smile as she observed Kana's reaction. "He tire himself out, I'm letting him rest now..."

"Oh," Kana replied, "Well, I'll just... Talk to him later then. I'll be leaving now, thank you very much, doctor," Kana said as he turned around and headed for the door.

Ayame watched as the man left, before finally muttering to herself, "Is it really one-sided...?"

* * *

Kana resumed his work on that day. Even though Ina and Phillip insisted that he take another day off to rest, Kana can't possibly stop thinking about his horses. So despite their concerns, he went ahead and jumped back to his usual routine.

"Kana, what happened to you?" Dirk asked when he noticed the bandage around Kana's head as he was making deliveries around the village.

"Minor accident with the horse," Kana replied as he pointed at the young black horse with his thumb, "The beauty's aggressive and restless."

"You've got to be more careful next time then, Kana," Dirk said, "God, it looks terrible... This is why I don't want to use a horse to help me with the deliveries."

Kana chuckled, "Don't worry, horses are gentle once you get to know them. Dirk, you should really consider using a horse. It's going to save you a lot of time on the road."

"No thanks, I'm good on my feet..." Dirk mentally sweatdropped. "Anyway, I've got to go back to work. Get well soon, kana," Dirk said as he walked away.

Kana waved him goodbye, "See you..." he said before returning to work.

Throughout the morning, he followed his routine of taking care of the horses, and when he's done, he focused his attention to the stubborn horse. He fed the horse treats with his own hands to gain its trust. The horse's cautious at first, but it finally relaxed as it began eating from Kana's hand.

"Now that I think of it, I haven't got you a nickname," Kana mused to himself as he watched the horse eat. "Hmm... What should I call you?"

"Kana!"

the horse expert turned his head around, his heart skipped a beat when the new horse snorted in discomfort at the sudden interruption. "Easy boy, easy..." he muttered soothingly to the beast as it gently stroke it's snout. He looked back again at none other than the doctor's apprentice, Hiro.

"You're working already?" Hiro sounded a little bit upset. "You should be resting!"

"Sorry, doctor. The horses need my attention," Kana replied as he walked over to the fence. The young horse followed, hoping to get some more treat from him. "Besides, I'm feeling great. Your treatment got me better, thank you very much," he offered Hiro a smile.

"Still, as your doctor, I'm worried," Hiro replied.

"I'm glad to know that such a caring doctor is looking after all the villagers," Kana chuckled, "But I'm fine, and I couldn't be any more sure about it, so rest assure, alright?"

Hiro decided that there's no more arguing with him. With a sigh, he said, "Don't overwork yourself, okay?"

Kana was about to reply, but that's when the black horse sniffed around Kana intrusively in search for more treats. "Whoa, easy there..." Kana murmured as he fished out another treat from his bag and gave it to the horse. "Oh, by the way... I'm thinking of a nickname for this new horse. You've got any idea?"

Hiro looked surprised, "You're asking me?"

"Yeah, I can't come up with anything better than 'Hayate number two'," Kana adopted a troubled expression on his face. "I'm not really that good with names... So, what do you think?"

"Eh... Uhh..." Hiro thought for a moment, "How about... Sora?"

Kana's face brightened, "Alright then, from now on, I'll call it Sora," he said as he stroke the horse's snout. "That's a wonderful name, Hiro. I really like it."

Hiro's stomach flipped when he saw the smile. "Well, I've got to go back to the clinic... You should drop by at the end of the day for a quick check-up."

"Alright then, I'll see you in the evening."

* * *

Hiro can't really recall for sure when he first developed feelings for Kana. The horse expert did leave a certain unique impression when they first met, but Hiro never thought that it could develop into something much more complicated than admiration.

Still, even with Doctor Ayame's encouragement to make his move on Kana, Hiro's still hesitant. What if he confesses and things get awkward between them? If that happens, he wouldn't have the courage to get out of the clinic ever again. There are so many things to be cautious of.

"It's snowing pretty hard, isn't it?" Doctor Ayame commented on that particular day as she stared out of the window.

Her words snapped Hiro out of his train of thought, "Huh? Oh, yeah..." he replied, "The village will be covered in snow by tomorrow..."

Doctor Ayame observed her apprentice for a moment, "Thinking about Kana?" she asked with a mischievous smile on her face.

"N-No," he tried to deny, but Hiro's never a good liar.

"It's been several days since he last dropped by for a check up," Ayame thoughtfully said, "Hiro, why don't you go ahead and see how he's doing? I'm sure the wound on his head is much better, but you can never be too sure, right?"

Hiro stared at her for a moment.

"What? Should I go instead?" Ayama questioned.

"I-I'll go!" Hiro abruptly stood up and swiftly picked up his winter coat. He was out of the door before Ayame could even tell him good luck.

* * *

"Doctor Hiro," Rahi greeted him as Hiro walked towards the northern part of the village.

"Rahi, Ying," Hiro walked over to greet them, "It's getting cold, isn't it? You should stay at home, or else you'll catch a cold."

"We're just going to my house to play," Ying said with an innocent smile on her face. "Grandma is making hot chocolate for us."

"That's good," Hiro smiled, "Dress warmly, and don't play outside when it's snowing like this, alright?"

"Yes, doctor!" both of them adorably said in unison.

"Run along now, and stay healthy."

Both of the kids ran off to the tea house. Hiro smiled to himself, the innocence of those kids is always amusing. Hiro turned around to proceed to his original destination, but that's when he hear a loud galloping resounding through the cold winter air. Suddenly, a black horse came into his sight. Hiro quickly recognized the horse as Sora.

The black horse has no rider on it. It seems that it has escaped. It stared at him for a moment, before it turned and made a dash towards the mountain.

"W-Wait!" Hiro thought of chasing after it, but it got out of his sight before he can even take another step.

Hiro stood there for a moment, wondering what he should do. He then decided that he should inform Kana about it. However, before he can even move, the horse expert came into sight. Kana looked alert as he scanned through his surroundings.

"Hiro!" Kana jogged up to him, "Did you see Sora?"

Hiro nodded, "He went to the mountain."

"Oh no," Kana muttered, "And the snow's getting worse too... I need to go look for it. Thanks, Hiro."

"Wait!" Hiro stopped him, "It's dangerous to go alone in this weather, I'll help you."

Kana hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "Sure, just don't push yourself too hard..."

And they both heads for the mountain.

* * *

The weather is getting worse as they hour went by. The condition in the mountain area is no better. It's cold, and the path is covered with snow that slows them down. Kana and Hiro both searched through every inch of the forest, but they have yet to find the horse.

"How did it escape anyway, Kana?" Hiro asked as he looked around the trees.

"It jumped over the fence all of a sudden," Kana replied, "It's my fault. Sora wanted to exercise, but I put it off because the weather doesn't look too good. I should at least take it for a ride around the village..."

Hiro looked up at the dark sky. The snow's still falling hard, it would take several days before it can finally settle. They have to find the horse quick before anything happens to it. He turned his gaze at Kana, and was nonetheless surprised to see him look so upset.

Hiro struggled for a moment for words to say, "We're definitely going to find him... I'll help you even if it takes the whole day, s-so cheer up!"

Kana smiled slightly, "Thank you, Hiro..." he looked a little bit better, but the worry's still there on his face.

The search went on for hours. Hiro's starting to feel the coldness seeping into his marrow. The ground makes each step he takes a struggle. Kana, being the fitter of the two, seems to be better off compared to Hiro.

"Hiro, here," Kana said as he took off his thick winter coat. He seems to notice that Hiro's shivering, "I'm sorry that you have to be stuck here with me." he placed his coat around Hiro. "I'm sorry, we'll find Sora soon enough."

"I-It's not your fault," Hiro said, "I was the one who wanted to come... But I'm only being a burden to you, I'm sorry..."

"No, it's fine, I'm glad you're here," Kana offered him a smile. "It's dangerous around these part... God knows what could happen if I wander around all by myself."

Hiro knows that Kana's just trying to be nice. He felt stupid for trying to keep up with Kana even though it's obvious that he doesn't have the kind of stamina Kana possessed.

"In weathers like this, I would do anything for a bowl of warm miso," Kana said as they both continue walking up the path in a much slower pace. "Do you think Yung's selling miso soup today?"

"The Tea House is closed today," Hiro informed, "B-But I can make miso soup if you want... Maybe after we get back?"

"That sounds awesome," Kana smiled. "I have the ingredients in my place... I can cook, but for some reason, it never turns out as good as I expect... Maybe I lack the talent..."

Hiro recalled the time when Kana participated in the weekly cooking competition held between Konohana and Bluebell. His food looks good, but for some reason, judge Pierre made a funny face when he tasted it. he giggled at the memory.

Kana was about to say something, however, that's when he spot something moving near the Harvest Goddess Spring. He motioned Hiro to stop as he cautiously walked closer to the Spring. Hiro waited patiently as he watched Kana walked up to the horse and offered it a treat.

Sora was hesitant, but it finally came close enough to let Kana stroke it.

"He's fine!" Kana said as he got on the horse and steadily hold the rein. He directed Sora over to where Hiro's standing and offered his hand. "Come on, let's go back."

Hiro was nonetheless worried. He has never been on a horse before.

"Don't worry, you'll be safe with me, I promise."

Hiro finally reached out and grabbed Kana's hand.

* * *

The ride home is fast. Sora's proves to be an agile animal with considerable energy as it carries both Hiro and Kana back to Konohana village in a relatively short time as compare to walking on foot. When they arrive home, it's already quiet late, and the weather's getting worse.

As promised, Hiro stayed in Kana's house for a while to cook him the miso soup. They both enjoyed dinner and washed it down with a warm cup of tea.

"It's getting late," Hiro finally said after he finished his meal. "I should get back to the clinic."

"Oh, I'll take you back," Kana hurriedly stood and picked up his coat.

"Y-You don't have to, I'm fine, really," Hiro replied.

"It's alright, think of it as my expression of gratitude," Kana smiled, "You've been a big help today."

Hiro felt bad, especially knowing that he really hasn't done anything to help Kana out. However, seeing how much Kana insisted, he can't say no.

"Come on, it's getting colder... You should wear my coat," Kana said as he wrapped his thick coat around Hiro's shoulder.

They walked through the snow-covered village while talking about many random things that comes up to their mind. When it's snowing, nobody goes outside, so that leaves only the two of them on the empty road of the village.

"Thanks for seeing me home," Hiro said when they finally reached the clinic.

"No problem," Kana smiled, "It's been a pleasure."

"So... Uh..." Hiro hesitated, "Goodnight... I hope you rest well."

"Sure." Kana nodded as he observed Hiro with curious eyes.

None of them made an attempt to move, each one's waiting the other to leave. This resulted in an awkward silence, which made Hiro's heart beat louder than it should. He doesn't need to look into a mirror to know that his face has gotten red.

"Uh... Er... See you then," Hiro quickly turned around to leave.

However, that's when Kana suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Hiro, surprised, looked up at him with wide eyes. "Kana...?"

Kana stared into his eyes, and without any other warning, he leaned forward and kissed Hiro on his lips.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey guys, thanks for reading! Don't forget to review and like this story! That'll be a great help for me!**

**There is definitely going to be a lot of drama in the future chapters, so... Yeah, just wait for it!**

**By the way, does anyway has any complain about my writing style? Is it too boring? Or not descriptive enough? Please let me know if you've got any opinion!**

**Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3: Unexpected Outcome

**Chapter 3: Unexpected Outcome**

Hiro shoved him away.

Hiro took a few steps back, almost in fear. All of a sudden, he feels so vulnerable, lost and scared. He can't really figure out why Kana would do something like that out of the blue. Did Kana finally figure out that he has feelings for him? Is this just a joke? Is he going to say that it's a misunderstanding? A thousand questions raced through his mind at the same rate as his current, rapid heartbeat.

The two men stood there in silence, neither of them dare to move a muscle as they sorted out their own thoughts. Hiro regained his control faster though, and he slowly looked up at Kana. He found that the older man is staring at him with a confused look on his face. "Why...?" that word came out of his mouth, but Hiro can't bring himself to complete his sentence. There are too many questions, he just can't choose.

"Well..." Kana started, his voice somehow turned uncontrollably coy. "I just thought... That..." he turned his gaze to the snow covered ground, in hopes of finding the right words to say. "You're kind of cute... I guess." He peeked at Hiro from the corner of his eyes, wondering how the young apprentice will react to that.

Hiro's heart skipped a beat, his face got so red that people might think he caught a fever. He can't believe it. Is this jsut a dream? A cruel trick played by his own mind? He fell silent for a few moment as he tried to answer the new set of questions which just emerged. He finally concluded that he can't be too sure about these things.

"I'll assume that you are feeling really tired," Hiro forced the words out of his mouth, his gaze wandering, but never meet Kana's. "Therefore I'm willing to overlook this incident. However, make sure that something like this does not happen again in the future..." he turned and walked towards the clinic.

Kana stood there and watched as Hiro walked away. He finally regained his capability to think, and he quickly tried to figure out the reason for his previous action. It is true that Hiro is unbelievably attractive, but they're just friends. Besides, as far as he could remember, he's always into women. So why the sudden change? What's going on here?

Hiro finally reached the door, he placed his hand on the handle and pull it down. However, before he cracked the door open, he gather the courage to look back over his shoulder. He finds out that Kana's still standing there under the snow, his eyes casted on the ground, an unreadable emotion written all over his face. Hiro looked away and entered the clinic.

He closed the door behind, before sliding down against it.

"Why... Did you say that...?"

* * *

The snow finally settled after several days. After what it feels like ages, the sun finally shows its face again to the villagers of the Konohana. With the weather taking turn for the better, everybody return to their daily routine almost immediately. Well, everybody except for Hiro and Kana.

"You stayed out for too long," doctor Ayame shook her head as she reads the thermometer's reading. "How could you let this happen? You're the village's medical expert! How can these people trust you with their health when you can't even take good care of yourself?"

"I'm sorry..." Hiro said as he pulled the blanket over his face. He did stay out too long a few days ago, and he hasn't been eating well ever since Kana did that. He brought the sickness upon himself, and he can't feel any more miserable than he already is.

"You shouldn't be too hard on him, doctor Ayame," Ina said, "Everybody in this village knows that you and doctor Hiro are always doing your best to look out for our health. I'm sure they couldn't ask for better medical experts."

Ayame sighed, "I hope you do not repeat this mistake in the future, Hiro..."

"You just relax and take a good rest, Hiro," Ina assured, "I'll come back with something for that cold."

"Thank you, Ina," Hiro said.

"Get well soon," Ina offered him a smile, before she finally leaves.

Ayame turned to look at him, "I'll be downstairs if you need me. Take a lot of rest, and don't forget about your medicine."

"I'm sorry..."

"Never mind about that, just make sure you recover as quickly as possible, okay?"

"Yes, doctor..."

* * *

"Kana, still working hard?"

Kana feeds a treat to Hayate, before turning to look at the mayor who just arrived. "Of course, the horses need extra care in winter." He walked over to her. "So, what brings you here, mayor?"

"I'm just checking on you and see if you're doing fine," Ina smiled. "How's the new horse treating you?"

"Well..." Kana hesitated, "Sora's quiet troublesome at first, but I think it's gotten better for the past few days."

"Sora?" Ina asked, "Did you come up with that name?"

"Uh, no, Hiro did, actually..." Kana replied, the mention of that name caused a mysterious feeling to bubble up in his chest.

"It's a good name," Ina smiled, "Speaking of Hiro, you should drop by the clinic and visit him. He caught a cold, I'm sure he'll feel better if you come to visit."

"Hiro fell sick?" Kana looked surprised, "How did that happen?"

"I heard from Ayame that he stayed out for too long when the snow was falling hard... Hiro's not as strong as he appears to be, but he's nonetheless a great doctor. Ayame's been a little hard on him this morning, you should go and cheer him up."

"Sure, I'll see what I can do..." Kana nodded. There's no doubt that Hiro catch the cold because he stayed out to helped him look for Sora on that day. As a good friend, it's his obligation to visit him, but with what happened on that night, can he still call himself as Hiro's friend?

* * *

Despite his doubts, Kana forced himself to step out of his house and directed his steps to the clinic. He doesn't know for sure what he's going to say to Hiro later on, but staying at home just doesn't feel right.

For the past few days, he has been trying to sort out his thoughts and figure out why he would kiss Hiro. All his questions are always settled with a simple _'well he is kind of cute' _answer. Kana is not the kind of person who likes to complicate a simple problem. If the answer to all his question is the same, then there's only one conclusion he can draw out from it.

He likes Hiro.

That's a big revelation to him, but it's not hard to accept. Hiro is cute, kind and there's just something so intriguing about him whenever he gets all serious talking about the importance of exercising regularly. In addition, his cooking is especially tasty.

"Maybe I should take him out on a date," Kana thought as he opened the front door of the clinic.

The big question is, will Hiro give him a chance?

"Oh, hi Kana," Ayame greeted him as soon as he entered. "Are you feeling well?"

"Yeah, I feel great," Kana offered her a smile, "I came here to see Hiro... I heard from Ina that he's sick. I believe that it was my fault. I was the one who took him out for too long a few days ago. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, he should've known better," Ayame replied. "He's resting in his room... Normally, I wouldn't let anyone disturb a sick person, but if it's you... Maybe I can make an exception."

Kana blinked, not sure what the doctor's implying. "Thank you..." he finally managed to say.

Ayame sighed, "Hiro... has been acting very strangely for the past few days. I won't ask what happened, I just hope that you two can work it out like adults, understand?"

"Sure..." Kana said, a tint of pink formed on his cheeks as he swiftly heads for the stairs.

Ayame watched as he disappears, "You'd better give him a chance, Hiro..."

* * *

Hiro was staring up on his ceiling, trying to bring himself to sleep for the third time in that day without any luck, when he suddenly heard a knock on his door.

"Come in," he automatically said, assuming that it must be doctor Ayame. However, his eyes quickly widened when he realized that it's not doctor Ayame who just knocked on the door.

Kana entered the room, a small smile graced his features as he held up a box, "Hey, I heard from Ina that you're not feeling well..." he said, "So I brought you this..."

"Thank you," Hiro said in return, even though his mind is still trying to process the fact that Kana is here in his room. "Uh... What is that?"

"Just a little treat..." Kana approached him, "So... How are you feeling?" he felt dumb for asking, but it's better than not asking at all, right?

"Better," Hiro admitted, "I've slept through the whole morning..."

"Good for you."

"Thanks."

And an awkward silence suddenly surged through the whole room.

"Uh, so..." Kana decided to speak again, "I've been thinking for the last couple of days..."

Hiro quickly realized where this conversation is going. He wants to avoid it just as much as he wants to hear what Kana has to say about the incident. Still, can he handles the truth if the worst case scenario occurs?

"I think I like you," Kana boldly stated, "And... I know you might think that it's weird, since a guy doesn't normally fall for another guy, but... I just want to let you know, so that... You can understand." His voice slowly trailed off when he noticed that Hiro looks shocked by his revelation. "I hope we still can be friends..." he hopefully added, "I know you can't return my feelings, so... Uh, what do you think?"

Hiro stared at the older man in shock. He just can't believe what he just heard. Does fever cause beautiful hallucination like this?

"We..." Hiro finally said after a considerable pause, "We can't be friends..."

Kana suddenly looks disappointed. He turned his gaze on the wooden floor, "Is that so...?" he muttered, suddenly regretting what he did that night. He shouldn't have crossed the line. Now what little they have is destroyed, and Hiro will probably never speak to him again.

"Because..." Hiro added as he reached out and grabbed out of Kana's hand. "I like you too..."

It took Kana a few long moments before he can finally register what Hiro just said. When the words finally make sense, he quickly asked, "A-Are you serious?"

Hiro's face flushed red, but he nodded anyway.

"Then..." Kana gently squeezed Hiro's hand, "When you get better... Will you... Go out on a date with me?"

Hiro nervously squeezed back, "Of course..." even until now, Hiro still finds it hard to believe that this whole thing is real. The whole scenario is just too good to be true, but it feels so real. "Kana...?"

"Y-Yes?" Kana quickly replied.

"Am I dreaming?"

Kana took a few moment, before he finally said, "No..." he smiled as he leaned down and kissed Hiro on his lips. "This is not a dream..."

Hiro smiled, those words are the only ones he needs to hear.


End file.
